Research Methods in Geography

  1. Primary Data Collection Methods
    1. Qualitative Data Collection
      1. Interviews
        1. Interview Types
          1. Structured Interviews
            1. Semi-structured Interviews
              1. Unstructured Interviews
                1. Life History Interviews
                2. Interview Design
                  1. Question Development
                    1. Interview Guide Creation
                      1. Probe Strategies
                        1. Sequencing Logic
                        2. Interview Conduct
                          1. Rapport Building
                            1. Active Listening
                              1. Non-verbal Communication
                                1. Managing Difficult Situations
                                2. Recording and Transcription
                                  1. Audio Recording
                                    1. Video Recording
                                      1. Note-taking Strategies
                                        1. Transcription Methods
                                        2. Special Interview Contexts
                                          1. Group Interviews
                                            1. Expert Interviews
                                              1. Elite Interviews
                                                1. Cross-cultural Interviews
                                              2. Focus Groups
                                                1. Focus Group Design
                                                  1. Group Composition
                                                    1. Size Considerations
                                                      1. Homogeneity vs. Heterogeneity
                                                        1. Number of Groups
                                                        2. Facilitation Techniques
                                                          1. Moderator Skills
                                                            1. Discussion Management
                                                              1. Encouraging Participation
                                                                1. Managing Dominant Voices
                                                                2. Group Dynamics
                                                                  1. Social Interaction Effects
                                                                    1. Conformity Pressures
                                                                      1. Power Relations
                                                                        1. Cultural Considerations
                                                                        2. Data Collection
                                                                          1. Recording Methods
                                                                            1. Observer Roles
                                                                              1. Field Notes
                                                                                1. Post-session Debriefing
                                                                              2. Ethnography and Participant Observation
                                                                                1. Ethnographic Approaches
                                                                                  1. Traditional Ethnography
                                                                                    1. Multi-sited Ethnography
                                                                                      1. Digital Ethnography
                                                                                        1. Auto-ethnography
                                                                                        2. Participant Roles
                                                                                          1. Complete Participant
                                                                                            1. Participant-as-Observer
                                                                                              1. Observer-as-Participant
                                                                                                1. Complete Observer
                                                                                                2. Observation Techniques
                                                                                                  1. Systematic Observation
                                                                                                    1. Unstructured Observation
                                                                                                      1. Time Sampling
                                                                                                        1. Event Sampling
                                                                                                        2. Field Notes and Journals
                                                                                                          1. Descriptive Notes
                                                                                                            1. Reflective Notes
                                                                                                              1. Analytical Notes
                                                                                                                1. Personal Notes
                                                                                                                2. Ethnographic Relationships
                                                                                                                  1. Gatekeepers
                                                                                                                    1. Key Informants
                                                                                                                      1. Community Integration
                                                                                                                        1. Reciprocity
                                                                                                                      2. Archival and Documentary Research
                                                                                                                        1. Archive Types
                                                                                                                          1. Government Archives
                                                                                                                            1. Institutional Archives
                                                                                                                              1. Personal Collections
                                                                                                                                1. Digital Archives
                                                                                                                                2. Document Types
                                                                                                                                  1. Official Documents
                                                                                                                                    1. Personal Documents
                                                                                                                                      1. Media Sources
                                                                                                                                        1. Visual Materials
                                                                                                                                        2. Source Evaluation
                                                                                                                                          1. Authenticity Assessment
                                                                                                                                            1. Reliability Evaluation
                                                                                                                                              1. Bias Detection
                                                                                                                                                1. Contextual Analysis
                                                                                                                                                2. Data Extraction
                                                                                                                                                  1. Content Coding
                                                                                                                                                    1. Thematic Analysis
                                                                                                                                                      1. Quantitative Content Analysis
                                                                                                                                                        1. Historical Analysis
                                                                                                                                                      2. Visual Methods
                                                                                                                                                        1. Photography in Research
                                                                                                                                                          1. Researcher-generated Photos
                                                                                                                                                            1. Participant-generated Photos
                                                                                                                                                              1. Found Photography
                                                                                                                                                                1. Photo Documentation
                                                                                                                                                                2. Photo-elicitation
                                                                                                                                                                  1. Image Selection
                                                                                                                                                                    1. Interview Integration
                                                                                                                                                                      1. Meaning Exploration
                                                                                                                                                                        1. Memory Triggers
                                                                                                                                                                        2. Video Methods
                                                                                                                                                                          1. Video Ethnography
                                                                                                                                                                            1. Participatory Video
                                                                                                                                                                              1. Video Diaries
                                                                                                                                                                                1. Time-lapse Photography
                                                                                                                                                                                2. Mental Mapping
                                                                                                                                                                                  1. Cognitive Mapping Techniques
                                                                                                                                                                                    1. Sketch Maps
                                                                                                                                                                                      1. Digital Mental Maps
                                                                                                                                                                                        1. Spatial Cognition
                                                                                                                                                                                        2. Other Visual Techniques
                                                                                                                                                                                          1. Drawing and Sketching
                                                                                                                                                                                            1. Collage and Montage
                                                                                                                                                                                              1. Mapping Exercises
                                                                                                                                                                                                1. Visual Narratives
                                                                                                                                                                                            2. Quantitative Data Collection
                                                                                                                                                                                              1. Surveys and Questionnaires
                                                                                                                                                                                                1. Survey Design Principles
                                                                                                                                                                                                  1. Question Clarity
                                                                                                                                                                                                    1. Response Categories
                                                                                                                                                                                                      1. Question Order Effects
                                                                                                                                                                                                        1. Survey Length
                                                                                                                                                                                                        2. Question Types
                                                                                                                                                                                                          1. Factual Questions
                                                                                                                                                                                                            1. Attitude Questions
                                                                                                                                                                                                              1. Behavioral Questions
                                                                                                                                                                                                                1. Knowledge Questions
                                                                                                                                                                                                                2. Response Formats
                                                                                                                                                                                                                  1. Multiple Choice
                                                                                                                                                                                                                    1. Rating Scales
                                                                                                                                                                                                                      1. Ranking Questions
                                                                                                                                                                                                                        1. Open-ended Questions
                                                                                                                                                                                                                        2. Survey Administration
                                                                                                                                                                                                                          1. Self-administered Surveys
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            1. Interviewer-administered Surveys
                                                                                                                                                                                                                              1. Computer-assisted Surveys
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                1. Mobile Surveys
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                2. Survey Quality
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  1. Pre-testing Methods
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    1. Cognitive Interviewing
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      1. Pilot Studies
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        1. Response Rate Optimization
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      2. Field Measurements
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        1. Measurement Planning
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          1. Variable Selection
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            1. Measurement Protocols
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              1. Equipment Calibration
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                1. Quality Assurance
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                2. Physical Geography Measurements
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  1. Topographic Surveying
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    1. Soil Property Measurement
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      1. Water Quality Assessment
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        1. Vegetation Monitoring
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          1. Climate Data Collection
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          2. Human Geography Measurements
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            1. Traffic Counts
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              1. Land Use Mapping
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                1. Economic Indicators
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  1. Demographic Counts
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  2. Measurement Accuracy
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    1. Precision vs. Accuracy
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      1. Error Sources
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        1. Calibration Procedures
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          1. Validation Methods
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        2. Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Designs
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          1. Experimental Design Elements
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            1. Independent Variables
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              1. Dependent Variables
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                1. Control Variables
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  1. Random Assignment
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  2. Types of Experiments
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    1. Laboratory Experiments
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      1. Field Experiments
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        1. Natural Experiments
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          1. Quasi-experiments
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          2. Control Strategies
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            1. Control Groups
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              1. Matching
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                1. Statistical Control
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  1. Randomization
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  2. Validity Considerations
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    1. Internal Validity
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      1. External Validity
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        1. Construct Validity
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          1. Statistical Conclusion Validity
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        2. Sensor Networks and Automated Data Collection
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          1. Sensor Types
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            1. Environmental Sensors
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              1. Motion Sensors
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                1. Acoustic Sensors
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  1. Chemical Sensors
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  2. Network Design
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    1. Spatial Configuration
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      1. Temporal Sampling
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        1. Data Transmission
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          1. Power Management
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          2. Data Quality Issues
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            1. Sensor Drift
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              1. Missing Data
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                1. Outlier Detection
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  1. Calibration Maintenance
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  2. Big Data Considerations
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    1. Data Volume
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      1. Data Velocity
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        1. Data Variety
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          1. Data Processing

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